How The Pieces Fall Together
by haunted-eternity
Summary: Zack asked him a question in the basement, Jenny asked him a question on the catwalk. He finally decided the pieces of his life need to be put together. Spoilers for Honor Code. Jenny/Gibbs.


Disclaimer: I own no characters.

A/N: This could be a one shot, or the prequel to all my Emma&Jake fics. I dont care what you decide to follow, I just hope you enjoy this piece of fluff :)

* * *

He sat at his desk, the only lights coming from the lamp in front of him and the lights that lit up the catwalk to MTAC.

Thinking about the catwalk brought back memories of this case, the smile as she asked him if he ever thought of having any children of his own. Little did she know he did once have a family, and a precious daughter.

Zack had gotten to him, the little boy needed protecting and reminded him of himself. But he'd never forget the words that he spoke to him as soon as Jenny left his basement the other night.

--

"_Hey Gibbs" Zack said from beside him, watching as the older man sand his boat._

"_Yeah" Gibbs said, taking a break from sanding the wood._

"_Do you like that lady" he said as innocently as a child could._

"_It's complicated" he said, scratching the back of his neck._

"_No it's not" the boy said, "You just think it is, you make it complicated."_

_Gibbs smiled and shook his head at the boy._

"_It's a simple yes or no question" he told Gibbs, looking him in the eye._

_Gibbs held the boy's stare for a bit, thinking in head about all the times Jenny and him had spent together in their years together, and then the separation they had, she returned six years later, and he still had flashbacks that he couldn't get rid of._

"_Yes" Gibbs said finally._

"_Well, why don't you tell her" Zack questioned._

"_That is a bigger answer then we have time for" Gibbs said, lifting him off the boat and onto the ground._

"_I know she likes you too" Zack said, heading up the stairs, "You can see it in her eyes when she's looking at you and you aren't looking back at her" he said, leaving Gibbs to ponder his words._

"_Gibbs" he heard Zack's voice tear him out of his musings, "Don't let her pass you by again, she's only going to wait for so long."_

_And with that parting statement Zach went to bed, and Gibbs sanded his boat, carefully processing Zack's words._

--

He punched the numbers with ease; he had memorized them long ago, waiting for the person to pick up the phone.

"Shepard" she greeted.

"Jen" he said, tightening his grip on the phone.

"Jethro, something the matter" she asked, and he sensed the worry in her tone.

"No" he placated her, "I was wondering if I could come over" he asked.

"Usually you just show up" she said, her tone light.

"I know" he said.

"Come on over Jethro" Jen agreed, hanging up the phone.

He listened to the dial tone before setting the phone back, closing his eyes tight and shutting off his lamp, the only thing lit up was the cat walk now.

Grabbing his coat off the back off his chair he quickly went to the elevator, going to Jen's house.

--

He knocked on the door quietly, watching as her detail members looked over at him as she opened the door and ushered him inside.

"Sorry, apparently I shouldn't stand in my doorway for very long, threats and such" she shrugged.

"Threats" he questioned, taking off his coat.

"Sure, I get them every day, but lately they've been taking it seriously" Jenny said, grabbing his coat from him and putting it on the coat rack.

"So what did you need to see me for" she asked, motioning to move to the study.

He followed behind her and watched as she poured two bourbons, passing one to him and sitting on a chair opposite the fire, him taking the other one.

"The kid asked me something the other day" he began, "Told me that it wasn't a complicated question, it was either yes or no. I swear that kid knew more than me about some subjects" he told her smiling.

"What'd he ask" she titled her head to look at him.

"You asked me if I ever thought about having kids" he ignored her question for a moment.

"Jethro, I'm sorry, I" she was cut off.

"No, don't apologize" he began, holding his hand up to stop her. "I had a daughter" he said, getting choked up. "I had a daughter with my first wife, the one you didn't know about" he said carefully, judging her reaction.

She said nothing, but put her hand out for him to grab, and he took it slowly.

"Her name was Kelly" he said, "Her and her mother, Shannon, got killed in an accident seeing me off to Desert Storm. Shannon, she had seen a Marine getting shot by a drug dealer, she pointed him out. The dealer found her and killed the protective agent she was with, they ran off the road and Shannon and Kelly died in the crash" he said, pausing every now and then.

She squeezed his hand tightly, pouring all of the support she could into it.

"I was discharged from the Marines and worked at NIS with Mike Franks, then he quit in 1993 and I got you. You were my partner, and I fell for you undercover and even when we were just ourselves, back home in the states, you still managed to be there for me, and I still loved you. Even after you left, I tried to forget you, but the taste of bourbon reminded me of you, coffee and just the sight of a cup of it brought back the memories I tried to forget. And when I look back at the last decade of my life, it's hard to imagine anyone else really wanting me but you" he said, looking into her eyes and her tear stained cheeks.

She got up out of her chair and moved over to him, sitting on the armrest as he pulled her to him, clearing the fresh tear marks off her cheek.

They stayed silent, watching the fire crackle in front of them, and Gibbs slid Jenny down from her spot on the arm rest to into his lap. She rested her head against his, her auburn locks cascading down the side of his face. And he pushed it away, gently kissing her now exposed throat.

She wound her hands through his hair as he continued on a path leading upwards to her chin, and then he stopped as he reached her lips, watching her carefully and noting that she wanted this as much as he did, and that Zack was right about more than one thing.

He brought his lips to hers, gently kissing her at first, almost like a whisper. She closed her eyes as she tilted her head towards his, pressing her lips more firmly to his this time, and he took her lips into his, they fused together and let go when only oxygen was in short supply.

He cradled her cheeks in his hands, framing her face and looking into her deep green eyes.

"Is it possible you might be who I need you to be" he whispered against her lips.

She bit her lips and didn't say anything, releasing herself from his grasp, she got up from her position on his lap and took his hand in hers.

She led him out of the room, turning the fireplace switch off, and heading up the stairs.

His fingers entwined with hers, and their bodies so close they were almost touching.

Pulling him to her bed, she sat down, watching as he followed suit, turning towards her.

"I don't know" she whispered, answering the question he asked in the study.

He kissed her slowly, thankful that she could still be honest with him.

Eventually they shed their clothes, and he dragged himself on top of her, touching every part of her pale freckly skin that was available to him.

"This isn't going to be some one night stand" she told him, flipping them so she could be above him.

"I know" he said, watching as she moved down to kiss him gently.

"Good" she whispered into his ear, feeling him flip them back over and feeling as he dragged his hands and teeth all over her, from her stomach to her neck, no inch of skin went untouched by him.

As they lay together, she had her head on his chest, feeling his strong heart beat under her.

"I want this to be something" she said, fingering the sparse hair on his chest.

"Like a relationship" he asked, threading his hands through her long hair.

"Relationship, partnership, we were never really that good at separating the two" she smiled against him.

"Partnership it is" he smiled into her hair and took his free hand and her roaming hand in place against his chest.

She snuggled into his side more, letting out a contented sigh.

A few minutes later he breached the silent atmosphere.

"And your question, I do think about having kids, as long as this partnership thing is ready for the long haul" he said and felt her kiss his neck in acceptance.

"Zack asked me if I liked you" he said again, moving their joined hands back and forth on his chest.

"And you said" Jenny asked.

"Yes" he smirked, "He also said he could see that you like me too."

"He's wrong" she said, moving her body so her eyes looked into his.

"I don't just like you, I love you" she smiled, kissing him again.

"Same here" he smiled as she pulled him into another kiss.

--

Fin.


End file.
